Friday, June 10, 2005

Another day and another drama

The phone rang at 9:30 am on Saturday morning. It is the weekends for goodness sake, I thought, who is calling me at this time when I want to be spending it in bed with hubby dearest?

So I answered the phone with Jane’s voice, “Good morning. How are you? Can you come to my house to talk?” Huh? I thought. So early? Not inviting me for chit-chat over coffee over the weekend surely?

“Why Jane? I’m sorry I can’t come immediately I haven’t even showered yet and we haven’t had breakfast yet?”

And so she told me her story. Obviously it was bothering her so much that she had to share it with somebody. Her husband is away, travelling on work and she is left all alone with her two children.

Apparently she has just been told that another lady in the compound is using her name to complain to the Manager, asking the compound manager to kick the lady who runs the playgroup center in the compound out. That lady, M, whom I personally though isn’t a very nice person due to my own personal encounters with her, had a run in with C who runs the playgroup in the compound. M continued to bad mouth C and her school and eventually those words reached to C herself. So C confronted M about the issue and basically told M to take her money back and not send her child to her school anymore.

Apparently M got livid that C kicked her child out of the school and started a personal vendetta against C, trying to kick her off the compound.

Urgh!

And frankly this doesn’t really have anything to do with me, except that I work in that school once a week in my attempt to get my butt out of my chair. And I have only started working very recently.

But I understood that Jane needed a listening ear so I told hubby dearest that we would have to get ready and that we will go out for breakfast after I have a quick word with Jane.

Jane told me that M, has gone round to the manager telling that some mothers in the compound including Jane is unhappy with the playgroup and that he should get rid of the play group from the compound. The Manager told M that he would look in the matter if M can get 4 women to sign a petition with her. And Jane is livid that M is using her name to further her personal vendetta against C.

After listening Jane for a little bit and trying to calm her down, we took our leave.

And on Sunday, Jane called me again to give me an update. Argghhh! I thought to myself! I don’t really need an update on this!

Apparently Jane got upset again today because M had come by with a piece of paper, presumably to ask Jane to sign the petition. But Jane feigned an excuse saying that it was not a good time and that they will try to touch base later.

Another lady Nory, called Jane to warn her that M had dropped by at her place, asking her to sign the petition. Nory had refused to sign it, saying that she does not support M’s cause.

And apparently M is now very upset.

Could it be that the ladies here have nothing to do that the very little things that upset them becomes a big deal? That a small misunderstanding can be blown so out of proportion, that it becomes a huge war of personal vendettas?

What bothers me the most is that a part of me is being spun in the saga. I know that all Jane want is a sympathetic ear and I am trying my best to give that to her but seriously, I don’t really want to know any of this silly stuff!

Just one bitter trouble maker can stir so much trouble in the compound, but I suppose its not far from a Malay saying, “Kerana nila setitik, rosak susu sebelanga.”

Help! I don’t want to get sucked into all these pettiness!

Why can't these women just try to get along!

1 comment:

atiza said...

just lend them your ears but don't offer anything in return..for all you know, some people might stab your back..just watch for it, yeah? take care